Automatic weapons found among French rioters

A potentially dramatic escalation in France’s ongoing unrest: automatic weapons have reportedly been found in the hands of rioters, including individuals allegedly close to Islamist circles.


Lara Tchekov, a journalist with France’s Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD), reported that Kalashnikov rifles and Scorpion submachine guns capable of automatic fire had been found in the possession of rioters. According to Tchekov, the information came from sources within the DGSI, France’s domestic intelligence and security agency.


The individuals involved reportedly included both minors and adults, described as being close to Islamist circles. Perhaps most concerning, Tchekov reported that French security forces did not arrest all of the armed individuals involved and that some remain at large.


If independently confirmed, the presence of automatic weapons among rioters would represent a significant escalation in the security threat facing French authorities.